CBS Sports has recently announced impressive viewership statistics from the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, making them the most-watched in U.S. television history.
In a thrilling match-up, Arsenal faced off against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. With both clubs entering the day level in the tie, there was heightened pressure during the return legs of the quarterfinals. The veteran Bayern team eventually advanced due to a lone goal by Joshua Kimmich after a tightly fought 180 minutes.
The game of Manchester City vs Real Madrid was even more tense. The two teams had to resort to penalties to decide the winner. Antonio Rudiger converted the game-winning spot kick for Real Madrid while backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin managed to stop two of City’s shots.
City, Madrid and Arsenal among most popular clubs in US
Due to these dramatic moments, CBS Sports announced that these matches were indeed historic - they were recorded as being among the most-watched Champions League quarterfinals ever on U.S television. This achievement was also aided by popularity of participating clubs; recent reports claim that City, Real and Arsenal are among America's favorite soccer teams.
The matchup between City and Real alone recorded 1.11 million viewers on that day - marking it as the most-watched UEFA Champions League quarterfinal game in American broadcasting history with an increase of 25% compared to last season’s matches at this stage of competition.
Paramount+ record most-streamed day
Paramount+, currently serving as English-language home for Champions League in United States, also experienced its most-streamed day of soccer on Wednesday according to CBS Sports data - an impressive feat considering only two matches were broadcast that day.
With the quarterfinals achieving such high ratings, CBS Sports is hopeful for a similar trend as we move into the semifinals. Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich in what promises to be an exciting match-up, while Paris Saint-Germain vs Borussia Dortmund in another highly anticipated fixture.
CBS Sports has held exclusive American broadcasting rights to UEFA’s competitions since 2020. Despite the original deal set to expire after this campaign, CBS has extended their agreement to air Champions League, Europa and Conference League matches until 2030 - a unique six-year deal that deviates from UEFA's typical three-year contracts.
